Tabs

Monday, August 30, 2010

Week 15. Fifteen weeks and I'm down four pounds. Not terribly impressive. I definitely haven't been working as hard as I could be.

I've hit a major motivation road block with running. Monday I didn't feel like doing the scheduled C25K run, so I did intervals. I winged it and just tried to go as fast as I could for a little bit, then walked a little bit, over and over. I have no idea if this is a technically valid training method but it seemed pretty cool at the time. I took 3 days off then tried to do a 25 minute run on Thursday. I didn't make it :( For the first time in the program I had to short a run and stop to walk. Tonight's run didn't go much better.

My 5K is in two weeks and I'm nervous. I thought I would be on pace for about a 30-32 min finish but now I have no idea.

I did clean out the fridge last week, though, so that's something. The only problem is now there's no food in there. Tonight I decided to run instead of grocery shop. If anybody knows of a way to be in two places at once, let me know.

Monday, August 23, 2010

I had Jury Duty today. Out of the routine and running late, I rushed out the door and drove through McDonald's for breakfast. I looked up what I ate. It was 380 calories and 21 grams of fat. Blech. Then I sat in a room for five hours, sat in the car, then sat in a meeting for two hours at work, then more sitting in the car. I felt like crap after putting Conor to bed. BUT, I wanted to exercise. I knew it would make me feel better. It worked!

This week I'm going to work on organizing the kitchen pantry and fridge. There's plenty of food around, healthy food at that, but we're so disorganized that in a pinch I get so frustrated I'd rather eat out than sort through the mess.

Friday, August 20, 2010

I love displaying photographs of family, but there’s only so much wall space in our house. I also love silhouettes, but run into the same problem – where to put them? I decided to create something functional and personal out of this photo.

Here is a tote bag I made using a silhouette of that picture of Conor at 10 months.

It was made from the Jordy Tote pattern that can be found here. This would also be a cute way to appliqué a silhouette onto a throw pillow, tea towel, zipper pouch… The possibilities are really endless! Here's a little tutorial on how to make your own fabric silhouette to embroider on a piece of your choice.

Materials you will need.

Fabric according to you pattern.

Fabric for your silhouette. Black cotton works well, such as Bella Solids by Moda Fabrics in Black. You don’t need much - you can make several from ¼ yard.

Fusible webbing suitable for sewing, such as Heat N Bond Lite.

embroidery scissors

**Wash all your fabric and iron well before starting.**

Make an outline of your subject.

This is one way to make a silhouette using Photoshop. I believe this can also be done in GIMP if you don’t have access to Photoshop – there are tutorials out there. Or, send it to me and I'll do it for you! :)

Find a photo with a good side profile – the subject’s gaze should be as parallel to the plane of focus as possible. A light, plain background is also helpful but not absolutely necessary. It doesn’t have to be perfect - chances are you have at least one photo that will work.

Import the photo into Photoshop. Duplicate the background layer and create an outline around the head using the pen tool. (Magnetic Lasso also works but is less exact.) Make sure “shape layers” is selected and adjust the opacity of the layer to ≤25% so you can see the subject. When going around tiny details like whisps of hair and eyelashes, it’s easier to use chunkier shapes than to try and outline every. single. hair. This will also make the latter steps easier. For example, in my picture, I made a fairly generous outline around the hairs sticking up on the top of his head.

Create a new file in Photoshop and copy your outline layer to the new file.

In the Layers palette, reduce fill to 0% but keep opacity at 100%.

Click “Add Layer Style Icon” on the bottom toolbar of the Layers palette and choose “Stroke”.

Resize to the desired size, depending on your project. My silhouette was about 5 inches x 5 inches. If you care which way the silhouette is facing, flip the image horizontally (Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip Canvas horizontal). The final product will be the reverse of the printout. I didn't do this so my final product is the reverse of my picture.

Print your silhouette.

Create a fabric silhouette.

Place a piece of fusible webbing over the printout (coated side down against the paper) and secure around the edges with tape. Trace the silhouette. If you like, use a little artistic license to alter the shape of the hair, or add a bow or a fancy collar, for example.

Remove the piece of fusible webbing and place it, coated side down, on the fabric you are using for the silhouette. (Most likely this is a solid black, but if it’s a print be sure to do this on the wrong side of the fabric.) Press according to the directions on the webbing package.

Use embroidery scissors to cut out the shape. Peel away the paper backing.

Apply the silhouette to your fabric.

The best time to do this is after you cut the pieces out but before you assemble them. If you’re applying the silhouette to a piece of fabric that will have interfacing (as with the tote bag example here), apply the interfacing first.

Monday, August 16, 2010

"The food that you put in your body should make you feel your best."
~Kath Younger

That quote is from an interview with dietician, blogger and oatmeal artist Kath of Kath Eats Real Food. It just makes so much sense. I know the days that I eat well, I have more energy, drive, creativity, positivity... One of the downfalls of sticking to a regular exercise routine has been that it gives me the illusion of a pass at eating right. I worked out last night, so I can totally have that warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie from the caf. No! The 3pm food coma is killer. By the same token, eating boring, bland, one-dimensional "healthy" foods that leave me lacking energy doesn't work either. I need to commit to eating right, but I hate following diets. If I eat foods that I enjoy that also make me feel good, all day, I think that's the winning combination.

I'm still rocking the Couch to 5K. I haven't shorted any of the runs yet! Don't get me wrong, I'm really struggling to get through these longer runs. What's exciting, though, is that in just seven weeks, I've gone from struggling to make it through 60 seconds of running to being able to go for 25 minutes. I actually had a conversation with Tim tonight about the possibility of doing a half marathon, some day. He's already suggesting races.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

These pants kill me! Or are they shorts? Capris, maybe??? I'm not really sure, but he looks so ridiculous adorable wearing them. These are Roots, directly from the flagship store on Bloor Street in Toronto. Authentic Canuck, eh?

Monday, August 9, 2010

I did my first "long run" of the C25K program. 20 minutes, no walking. (Distance runners, please restrain your laughter.) It was slow - about 10 minute mile pace - but I didn't stop, which I am proud of. This week I'm supposed to do 25, then 28 the next, then finish up with 30 (which should be just about a 5K for me.)

In spite of the running success, my weight still isn't really moving. I hover around 140, give or take a pound, and I'm not terribly bothered by this. I feel great, and my current BMI is well within the healthy range, but it would be nice to see some positive feedback from the scale. I really believe if I can make running a part of my life, in time I will eventually make it down to my goal weight. Even if I don't, I still think the rewards of fitness are more than just weight loss.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

As a working mom there are just some things I have to learn to let go of and delegate. It was a tough decision, but we finally broke down and hired a gardener. He's short and doesn't say much but he seems to enjoy his work, so I think we'll keep him.

Soak chickpeas overnight, or use canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed.)
Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, smash chickpeas with a potato masher. Mix with remaining ingredients and form into small patties (~1.5 inches across.)
Optionally, put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until incorporated.
Place falafel patties on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 15 min each side, until browned.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Couch to 5K, I love you. I am surprising myself with this program, but I'm actually doing it. Not just saying I'm going to do it, buying a bunch of stuff to do it, thinking about doing it, starting to do it, but actually following through with doing it. Every week, I look ahead to what the next week's intervals are and think, "How the heck am I going to do that???" Somehow, I make it. Day 1 is really hard, and days 2 and 3 get a little easier.

"When I first started running, I was so embarrassed I'd walk when cars passed me. I'd pretend I was looking at the flowers."

– Joan Benoit Samuelson, First Women's Olympic Marathon Champion

I laughed when I read this quote because I do the same thing. Well, I used to. I'd turn down a side street if I saw a "real runner" coming towards me because I was embarrassed to run slowly, worried I might have to stop as I passed them, or worse. Now, I couldn't care less what anybody thinks. It feels good to run, even if my gait is far less than ideal or I'm slow or whatever. It's the endorphins, maaaaan. I'm hooked.